Bathroom drying rack



1954 M. L. STANDARD 3,163,295

BATHROOM DRYING RACK Filed May 3, 1962 A TTORIVEYS United States Patent 3,163,295 BATHRGGM DRYEJG RAQK Martin L. Standard, 1355 W. 12th Ave, Vancouver, British Qoiurnhia, Canada Filed May 3, 1962, Ser. No. 192,15ti 6 Ciaims. {$1. ZlL-fid) This invention relates to a drying rack adapted to be installed in a bathroom in an out-of-the-way position extending across the bathtub from the shower-curtain rod at one side of the tub to the bathroom wall at the opposite side of the tub.

In the preferred execution of the invention, the drying rack includes a bar-like central member of a length greater than the distance from the shower-curtain rod to the diametrically opposite portion of the bathroom wall located at the side of the tub remote from the shower-curtain rod. The central member of the drying rack is installed so that it extends in an upwardly inclined direction from the shower-curtain rod across the tub and into engagement with the aforesaid bathroom wall. One end portion of the central rack member is fastened to and supported by the shower-curtain rod and the other end of said member is supported against downward movement by its engagement with the aforesaid bathroom wall. A portion of the central rack member, which overlies the bottom of the bath tub, is provided with article supporting members projecting laterally therefrom and the wet articles to be dried may be draped over or suspended from these article supporting members so that all the drippage from the wet articles falls into the underlying bath tub and may be drained away through the conventional bathtub drainage outlet.

A preferred execution of the invention and certain feasible modifications thereof will now be described in greater Patented Dec. 29, 1964 "ice single rod of metal into U-form to provide two limb members 16 of preferably equal length extending in spaced parallel relation to each other from the bight portion 15. The two limb members of the U-shaped rod thus formed are then twisted at a point 16 located a suitable distance from the bight 15 so that slot forming portions 16a of the limb members extending between point 16 and bight 15 and defining the slot 1% lie in a common horizontal plane whereas the remaining portions 16b of the limb members are superimposed in spaced relation to lie in a common vertical plane. In this execution of the rack member, the article carrying members 11 consist of rod-like members whichare passed transversely through the space formed by and between the superimposed limb members and have their intermediate portions soldered or otherwith suitably secured to said superimposed limb members. The clamping member 12 shown in FIGURES 2, 2a and 3 comdetail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in

which:

FIG. 1 is a view partly in section and partly in side elevation showing the installation in a bathroom of the preferred execution of the drying rack. Inthis view, the bath tub, the shower-curtain rod, and wall, floor and ceiling portions of the bathroom are shown in section whereas the drying rack is shown in side elevation.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the preferred excution of the drying rack per se.

FIG. 2a is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken along the section line 2a2a of FIG. 2.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the drying rack shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a plan view, similar to FIG. 2, but showing a modification of the drying rack.

FIG. 5 is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section, of the modification shown in FIG. 4.

In the bathroom installation shown in FIG. 1, 5 designates the bath tub, 6 a conventional shower-curtain rod positioned above one side of the tub and 7 the bathroom Wall located at the other side of the tub. My improved drying rack is generally indicated at 8 and is shown extending between and supported by the shower-curtain rod 6 and the wall 7.

The drying rack consists essentially of a central rack member 9 provided with a slotted end 1% and with a plurality of spaced laterally projecting article supporting members 11. The slotted end 1th of the central rack member is clamped against the bottom of the showercurtain rod 6 by a clamping member 12 which extends over the top of the shower-curtain rod 6 and is adjustably fastened to the member 9 by fastening means comprising a bolt 13 which passes through the clamping member and the slot 10 and is fitted with a clamping nut 14.

In the execution shown in FIGURES 2, 2a and 3, the central rack member 9 is formed by initially bending a prises a plate member 18 slidably mounted on the slotted portion of the central rack member and provided with a projection or hook bill' 19 adapted to be fitted over the shower-curtain rod 6, as shown in FIG-1. 'The plate member 18 is shaped so that its upper surface 18a is concavely curved whereas its lower surface 18b is convexly curved and fits between the side walls of the slot 10 so as to be held against casual lateral displacement. This plate portion 18 of ciampingmember 12 is secured to the slotted end of the central rack member by the bolt 21 which passes downwardly through the platemernber 18, the slot lit and a U shaped'clip 22 which is fitted over the bottomand side portions of the limb members defining the siot it The clamping nut 23 is threaded onto the lower end of bolt 21 andlbearsagainst clip member 22.

In the modified execution shown in FIGURES 4 and 5, the central rack member 9' is formed by a wooden bar provided at one end with a slot 25} corresponding to the previously mentioned slot it and which is drilled to provide transversely extending openings 25a through which the article supporting members 11 are passed. In this last mentioned execution, the clamping member 12 is formed by a Wood block 27 which is slidably fitted on the slotted end of the central rack member 9' and is provided with a rubber covered extension 28 adapted to fit over the shower-curtain rod 6 in clamping engagement therewith.

of the central rack member 9 and the free ends of the d article supporting members 11 may be capped, as indicated at 31, with caps made of rubber, or any other suitable material to give the rack a finished appearance and to minimize damage to the bathroom wall engaged by the free end of the central rack member and to the articles which are draped over the article carrying members 11. The inclined installation of the drying rack shown in FIG. 1 is preferred since this eliminates the necessity of providing any supportingmeans on the bathroom wall 7 to support the free or wall engaging end of the central rack member 9. However, it is conceivable that the drying rack can be arranged to extend in a horizontal position from the shower-curtain rod d to the diametrically opposite portion of the bathroom wall 7 but, in this case, some means must be provided on the rack or on the wall '7 to support the central rack member against downward swinging movement.

e The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 1. A drying rack adapted to be installed in a bathroom in an out-of-the-way position extending across the bath tub from the shower-curtain rod at one' side of the tub to the bathroom wall as the opposite side of the tub, said drying rack including a central member having a longitudinally extending slot at one end and provided, between the slotted end and its opposite end, with laterally projecting rigid garment supporting members substantially coplanar with said central member and adapted, in the applied position of the drying rack, to support wet articles above the tub so that the drippage from the wet articles will fall into the tub, and a clamping member adjustable along the slotted end of said central member, said clamping member and the slotted end of said central member being respectively disposed to engage top and bottom surfaces of the shower-curtain rod and to be clamped against said rod by a clamping bolt passing through the slotted end of said central member and through said clamping member.

2. A drying rack as claimed in claim 1, in which the clamping member includes a plate member slidably mounted on the slotted portion of the central rack member and provided with an upwardly oilset hook-bill adapted to be fitted over the upper side of the showercurtain rod to clamp said rod between the clamping member and the slotted end of the central member with the slotted end of said central member engaging the lower side of said rod, said plate portion of the clamping member being secured to the slotted end of the central member by a bolt passing downwardly through the plate member, the slot in the central member and a U-Shaped clip fitted over the bottom and side portions of the slotted end of the central member, said clip being held against the central member by a clamping nut threaded onto the lower end of said bolt.

3. A rack as set forth in claim 2, in which the said plate member is shaped so that its upper surface is concavely curved and its lower surface is convexly curved, the lower convexly curved surface of the plate member being fitted between the side Walls of the slot in the central member to hold the plate member against casual lateral displacement.

4. A rack as set forth in claim 1, in which the central rack member comprises a single rod of metal bent into U-form to provide two limbs extending in spaced parallel relation from the bight portion or bent end of said member, the two limbs of the U-shaped member thus formed being twisted at a point located a suitable distance from the bight portion so that slot forming portions of the central member extending between the point of twist and the said bight portion are disposed to lie in a common horizontal plane whereas the remaining portions of the limbs are superimposed in spaced relation to lie in a common vertical plane, said rack being further characterized in that the article supporting members consist of rod-like members passing transversely through the space formed by and between said superimposed limbs and having their intermediate portions secured to said superimposed limbs.

5. A rack as set forth in claim 1, in which the central rack member comprises a solid wooden bar having the slot cut therein and in which the clamping member comprises a solid wood block secured to the slotted end of the central member by a clamping bolt passing through the clamping block and the slot in said central member and equipped with a clamping nut, said clamping block being shaped to provide a projection adapted to be fitted over the shower-curtain rod'to clamp the latter between said projection and the slotted end of the central rack member.

6. A drying rack including a central rack member comprising a single rod of metal bent into U-form to provide two limb members extending in spaced parallel relation to each other from the bight portion of the bent rod, said limb members being twisted at a point located a suitable distance from said bight portion so that portions of the limb members extending between the bight portion and the point where the limb members are twisted define Walls of a slot and are disposed to lie in a common horizontal plane whereas the remaining portions of the limb members are spaced one above the other to lie in a common vertical plane, laterally projecting article supporting members carried by said rack member, said article supporting members extending transversely between andbeing secured to the superimposed limb members of said rack member and a clampingmember adjustably bolted to the slotted portion of said central rack member for clamping the latter to a supporting bar.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,433,247 Stowell Dec. 23, 1947 2,531,563 Feldheim Nov. 28, 1950 2,639,816 Fogg May 26, 1953 2,841,918 Sylwan July 8, 1958 2,981,418 Bradley Apr. 25, 1961 2,985,311 Abel May 23, 1961 3,019,909 Churchill Feb. 6, 1962 

1. A DRYING RACK ADAPTED TO BE INSTALLED IN A BATHROOM IN AN OUT-OF-THE-WAY POSITION EXTENDING ACROSS THE BATH TUB FROM THE SHOWER-CURTAIN ROD AT ONE SIDE OF THE TUB TO THE BATHROOM WALL AS THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE TUB, SAID DRYING RACK INCLUDING A CENTRAL MEMBER HAVING A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SLOT AT ONE END AND PROVIDED, BETWEEN THE SLOTTED END AND ITS OPPOSITE END, WITH LATERALLY PROJECTING RIGID GARMENT SUPPORTING MEMBERS SUBSTANTIALLY COPLANAR WITH SAID CENTRAL MEMBER AND ADAPTED, IN THE APPLIED POSITION OF THE DRYING RACK, TO SUPPORT WET ARTICLES ABOVE THE TUB SO THAT THE DRIPPAGE FROM THE WET ARTICLES WILL FALL INTO THE TUB, AND A CLAMPING MEMBER ADJUSTABLE ALONG THE SLOTTED END OF SAID CENTRAL MEMBER, SAID CLAMPING MEMBER AND THE SLOTTED END OF SAID CENTRAL MEMBER BEING RESPECTIVELY DISPOSED TO ENGAGE TOP AND BOTTOM SURFACES OF THE SHOWER-CURTAIN ROD AND TO BE CLAMPED AGAINST SAID ROD BY A CLAMPING BOLT PASSING THROUGH THE SLOTTED END OF SAID CENTRAL MEMBER AND THROUGH SAID CLAMPING MEMBER. 